


you can see it with the lights out (you are in love)

by ifthebookdoesntsell



Series: darling just look beside you (i'll go with you anywhere) [4]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Rejanis, rejanis gets a cat!, this is some of the softest shit I've ever written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifthebookdoesntsell/pseuds/ifthebookdoesntsell
Summary: “You wouldn’t be brave enough to gossip about me to him,” Janis says as seriously as she can.“You know I would,” Regina hums easily, enjoying the offended look on her fiancée’s face. “I’ll tell Sammy that you didn’t even want to get him--”“I want him now!” Janis fights back. “Because you want him, and I want you to be happy.”Regina softens.“You’re sweet, baby.”Janis grins at her.“Thank you; I try very hard.”(Or, the one where Regina and Janis finally get a cat.)
Relationships: Regina George/Janis Ian, Regina George/Janis Sarkisian
Series: darling just look beside you (i'll go with you anywhere) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840216
Comments: 16
Kudos: 70





	you can see it with the lights out (you are in love)

**Author's Note:**

> hey folks! i know i've been a bit mia, but in my defense, my computer broke, and then by the time it was fixed i had other obligations like school and shit lol. anyway, hope y'all enjoy this. rejanis finally gets sammy!
> 
> (mack, here's your second fic, though technically you got a sneak peak of this one. surprise!) 
> 
> (title from you are in love by taylor swift)

“You won’t love him more than me, right?” Janis asks, pouting excessively as they walk down the street in the direction of their favorite sandwich shop. 

Regina huffs, rolling her eyes. 

“No promises.” She’s being purposefully dramatic, turning up her nose even as she continues to hold onto the other woman’s hand. 

“But I’m your fiancée,” Janis points out. “I pay for your cravings. Like right now, you want a meatball sandwich for dinner. So what do I do?” she asks rhetorically. “I drive you to Benny’s to get a meatball sandwich!” 

She pulls open the door to the restaurant, letting Regina enter first as the delicious scents of fresh-baked bread and different sauces reach their noses. They pick their usual table by the window, and, as soon as they sit down, the blonde continues their conversation. 

“He will be my son,” she says seriously. “And honestly, as his co-parent, you’re emotionally obligated to look after my wellbeing as well as his.” 

Janis can’t take it anymore. 

“He’s a cat!” the brunette deadpans, and Regina finally breaks too, giggling and leaning across the table to kiss her disgruntled fiancée’s cheek--

 _Fiancée._ That’s a word that Regina will never get tired of saying or thinking. She smiles just repeating the word in her head; Janis looks at her, clearly puzzled. 

“What’s got you all smiley, Miss Apex Predator?” 

“You,” Regina replies smoothly as she checks off on her menu card what she wants on her sandwich with one of the tiny pencils from the cup on the edge of the table. 

“What about me?” Janis fishes, throwing the blonde a flirty, confident grin as she reaches for her own card and writing utensil. 

“Well now I don’t want to tell you,” Regina teases. “I compliment you enough.” 

Janis gasps in offense, pretending to grab for the other woman’s menu. 

“I _will_ tell them to put olives on your sandwich!” she threatens, trying not to smile. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” the blonde practically sings. “You love me too much. Besides, you wouldn’t want our son to develop a bad opinion of you.”

“You wouldn’t be brave enough to gossip about me to him,” Janis says as seriously as she can. 

“You know I would,” Regina hums easily, enjoying the offended look on her fiancée’s face. “I’ll tell Sammy that you didn’t even want to get him--” 

“I want him now!” Janis fights back. “Because you want him, and I want you to be happy.” 

Regina softens. 

“You’re sweet, baby.” 

Janis grins at her. 

“Thank you; I try very hard.” 

She laughs, plucking Janis’ card from her grasp and kissing her cheek again before getting out of her seat to bring both of their orders to the counter. 

***

Janis wakes up first, just like always. She loves the routine they’ve created, the life they’ve built. There’s light streaming in through the windows, but Regina is buried so deep in her pillows, in Janis’ hoodie that she managed to steal, that it isn’t affecting her in any way. 

This is Janis’ favorite part of her morning-- watching Regina wake up, seeing her with sweater paws, being the first thing that this beautiful woman sees every day-- it’s special. She moves closer to the blonde, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning down to press her lips to Regina’s neck. Her hand wanders under the sweatshirt, nails scratching gently over toned stomach muscles, and Janis smiles as she feels the woman begin to stir against her. 

Regina hums, pressing back into Janis’ touch, using the back of her hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes. 

“Morning,” she whispers, sighing as her fiancée’s wandering hand continues to move upwards, absently tracing lazy patterns over the undersides of her breasts. 

“Good morning,” Janis mumbles back, her voice still rough with sleep. 

They lie there for what feels like forever, trading idle pillow-talk as Janis’ hand grows more and more adventurous. There have been no protests from the blonde yet, so, curiously, she trails her fingers downward, catching them on the elastic of a pair of Janis' boxers-- another article of clothing that Regina stole-- before pulling the plaid just low enough that her hand can comfortably move over soft inner thighs. 

It feels lazy, easy, the way Regina lets her legs fall open, the way Janis kisses her jaw and ghosts her fingers up and down. She thinks she’s getting somewhere, thinks that maybe Regina has forgotten what day it is by the way her breath is shortening as Janis’ hand moves over the crease of her thigh and then back down teasingly, but then-- 

“What time is it?” 

Janis groans. Of course Regina remembers. 

“I’m doing my best work here, and you ask me what time it is?” 

“We’re getting Sammy today!” Regina says happily, pulling away and flipping around so that she can look at Janis. “We should get his area ready even more!” 

“I thought we finished last night,” Janis complains, trying to coax Regina into coming closer. “Don’t you want me to make you feel good?”

“I’m too excited,” Regina replies. “Come on, babe. I’ll make you breakfast.” 

***

Regina is so overjoyed at the prospect of picking Sammy up later that Janis can’t stay mad for long. 

She makes Janis coffee, practically bouncing toward her fiancée who is just coming out of the shower. 

“Who are you, and what have you done with Regina George?” she asks, attempting to be serious. 

“Don’t be rude,” Regina replies with a laugh, kissing the brunette’s cheek. “Am I not allowed to be happy?” 

“I didn’t say that.” Janis smiles, her eyes softening. “You know I love it when you’re happy.” 

Regina pokes her, trying to fight the grin that wants to form on her lips at Janis’ words. 

“Nerd.”

“ _Your_ nerd,” Janis responds easily.

The blonde groans, pretending to be annoyed as she walks back towards the coffee maker to pour her own cup. 

“Do you have to be? Can I return you?”

Janis gasps in offense, reaching forward and catching Regina around the waist, lifting her. 

“Take that back!” Janis demands, continuing to hold the woman off the ground as Regina shrieks with joy. They’re both laughing, and Regina tries to kick her feet out, to get down, but Janis shakes her head. “I said take it back!”

“Fine!” Regina giggles. “I take it back. I love you!” Janis sets her down easy, clearly pleased with her handiwork as she grins at the blonde. Regina looks up at her, her eyes questioning. “Yes?”

“Just wanna look at you,” Janis whispers quietly. “You’re pretty.”

Regina blushes furiously, tearing her gaze away to look at the floor; it all feels like too much. She’s not _that_ pretty-- 

“Stop thinking,” Janis says. “I can hear those gears turning.”

But Regina can’t stop. They’re taking the next step in their life together, and, as exciting as it is, it’s also absolutely terrifying. 

_What if Janis realizes that she can do better? What if her reservations about getting Sammy stem from something deeper, of not knowing if she wants to commit? What if--_

Janis kisses her. 

“I said stop thinking, ‘Gina,” she mumbles into it, pressing closer. “Do I need to spin you ‘round again to make you say it?”

Regina laughs quietly, her fingers winding in soft brown hair. 

“I can think of another way you could make me say it,” she throws back easily, and Janis makes a sound in the back of her throat. 

“You’re the one who wanted to get out of bed,” Janis reminds her. “But I’m sure we can figure something out--” 

The phone rings.

Because of course it does. 

Regina pulls away from Janis, kissing her cheek. She traipses over to the phone, winking at the other woman who just shakes her head in amusement. 

“Hello, yes, this is Regina George.” Janis listens to the side of the conversation she can hear. “Oh, hi Linda!” It’s the manager of the shelter. “Is Sammy ready to--” Regina pauses, her face falling slightly. Janis looks at her curiously, but Regina motions with her hand for her to wait. “I see. In a couple of days? Thank you very much.”

Regina hangs up, turning to Janis, crestfallen. 

“What is it?” 

“Apparently Sammy is sick,” Regina says sadly. “They think he’ll be better in a few days, but they want to keep him to make sure he’s healthy before they give him to us.” 

“I’m sorry, babe.” Janis opens her arms for a hug, and the blonde nods, walking carefully forward until she can lean against her fiancée and breathe her in. “I know how excited you were.” 

Regina shakes her head gently, burying her nose in Janis’ shoulder. 

“It’s okay. I’m glad they’re being safe.”

“It’s fine to still be upset,” Janis tells her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. 

“I know,” Regina mumbles quietly, hugging Janis harder. “I _am_ a little upset,” she admits. “But now, I’m more sad that I made us get out of bed. I missed my morning cuddles for this. ” 

Janis feels a grin against her shoulder, and she can’t help but laugh herself. 

“You’re adorable. You know that, right?” 

Regina giggles, her hands running over the small of Janis’ back. 

“We can still pick up Sammy another day,” she says. “We, however, cannot get back the time that we could have been in bed together, wasting the day away.”

“We can recreate it, though,” Janis replies smoothly. “Shall we?”

***

By the end of the day, Regina isn’t too down about not having Sammy home yet. Janis, as promised, had dragged her back to bed, cuddling her close so that they could fall back asleep. 

Janis marvels at how easy it all has been: falling, loving, becoming cemented in each other’s lives. She never thought she would have somebody like Regina, never mind have thoughts of pets, of getting married, of a family. It all felt so far away, but now, it’s difficult for Janis to imagine her life without all of those things. 

They’re taking steps so quickly, and for both of them, it’s totally new, since they were always ones to plan meticulously. 

Some days, Janis can’t believe how much they’ve changed. And changed each other. 

She watches Regina stir awake, a smile quirking up on her lips as she opens her eyes for the second time in the day to see her fiancée staring back at her. 

“What?”

“Just wanna look at you,” Janis repeats, enjoying how Regina blushes every time she says it. 

***

The days pass, and both women go back to work for the week, trying not to await the call from the shelter too anxiously. 

"He's just a cat," Regina says one night, even though Janis knows she doesn't think that at all. 

"But this is important to you. To _us_ ," Janis replies gently. "We made plans. It's okay to be worried that those plans won't work out." Regina bites her lip, looking around the living room nervously. "Hey," Janis whispers, brushing her fingers over Regina's cheek in an effort to get her to look at her. "What is it?"

Regina shakes her head. 

"It's stupid." 

"I'm sure it's not," Janis says back with zero hesitation.

"It's just-" Regina wrings her hands in her lap, leaning her head on her fiancée's shoulder- "I convinced you to do this. And now, it's not happening like we thought. Maybe you were right; maybe this is a sign that we aren't ready--" 

"It's just a few days later," Janis interrupts, stroking a hand through soft blonde hair. "It's _not_ a sign. It's just a coincidence," she assures her. "You know we're ready. Besides, don't you know I wouldn't go along with something if I didn't want to?" Regina laughs, nodding, and it makes the other woman grin. "Don't worry so much," Janis mumbles, kissing the top of Regina's head. "Even if the adoption falls through, you'll always have me."

Regina groans, feigning dismay. 

"The whole point of getting him was so I wouldn't be stuck with you."

Janis tries not to smile at that, knowing that if Regina's teasing, she's feeling more back to herself. 

"That's very rude, Regina," she throws back, pretending to be hurt. "No more cuddles for you!" 

"No! Wait--" 

The brunette laughs, attempting to pull away, but Regina stops her, hanging onto her arm. 

"I'm sorry! I love you. Come back?"

Janis pretends to think about it, looking between the bedroom and the woman in front of her. 

"Fine, but only because you apologized."

***

On Wednesday, they’re finally allowed to go to the shelter to pick up Sammy. 

Janis and Regina are both at work, so they have to wait until they’re both done, but, from the amount of emojis that Regina is sending her, Janis can tell that the blonde is barely able to contain herself. 

She puts her phone down, rolling her eyes and getting back to her painting that was commissioned by the owner of one of the new office buildings downtown, but eventually, she gives up. Somehow, Regina’s excitement has influenced her, and the thought of going to the shelter makes her smile irrationally. 

Coming up with a plan, Janis sets her brush down. It’s time to shove Regina out of her comfort zone. She hasn’t done it in a while, and she knows that when she does it’s good for both of them. Their relationship is a push and pull, Janis leading and Regina following or sometimes the opposite. They keep each other in check. 

It’s why they work so well. 

Janis cleans her hands in the sink, scraping the paint off her palms, since she knows that it isn’t Regina’s favorite sensation to feel the residue when they’re holding hands. 

As quickly as she can, Janis lays her canvases out to dry, picking up unused brushes and putting them back where they belong before she locks up securely, checking the chain on the door before heading out and getting into her car. 

*** 

Luckily, when she strides into the office where Regina works, the receptionist recognizes her. 

Janis waves, moving past her with a quick motion that says she’s going to see her fiancée. She knows that Regina doesn’t have any more meetings today, which is partially why she’s willing to take a risk and try to convince Regina to throw off her carefully marked schedule. 

With practiced confidence, Janis walks out of the elevator, waving at a few of the people she recognizes as she makes her way to Regina’s large office at the end of the hall. She knocks quietly, just in case there’s a phone call happening, and she smiles when she hears a gentle, “come in.” 

Regina looks as gorgeous as ever, even after a long day at the office, bathed in the light of a single lamp. Her reading glasses are pushed up her nose as she writes down something on one of the many documents on her desk. The one she’s working on looks to be a budget sheet.

Janis shifts from foot to foot, but Regina doesn’t look up, engrossed in the numbers on the page. It takes several seconds before the blonde finally looks up. She does a double take, gaping for a moment before she picks her jaw off the desk. 

“Janis?” She flips through her agenda for the day. “Shit. Did we have a date?” 

“No, no,” Janis replies quickly. “But Sammy is ready to be picked up, and I thought maybe you could call it a day here so that we could go get him.” 

She watches the hesitation play across Regina’s face, but she can already tell that the woman is close to giving in. 

“I’m supposed to finish this to submit on Friday,” she says, rubbing her eyes under her glasses. “I don’t know if I can leave.” 

Janis rounds the corner of Regina’s desk, moving to open the curtains. 

“Jesus, baby. Do you not get any light in here?” 

It pulls a laugh from the woman, who maneuvers to look at her. 

“I guess I didn’t realize,” she mumbles, breathing in deep when she feels her fiancée hug her from behind and kiss her jaw gently. “Jay, this budget; it’s really important--” 

“And I know you could do it in your sleep if you wanted to,” Janis murmurs back, tightening her hold on Regina’s shoulders. “C’mon, let’s get a cat.” 

Janis knows it’s a little unfair to echo Regina’s words from that time in bed where they felt everything change, but she can’t stand the sight of the woman she loves looking so overworked and burnt out. 

She feels Regina begin to cave in her grasp, the woman leaning into her and pressing close to where Janis is still kissing gently. 

“After we’ve settled him in, maybe we can take a bath together,” Janis adds, and that seems to finally convince Regina that leaving early might be well worth her while. “I’ll fill the tub, light some nice candles, wash your hair--” Regina hops up out of her chair, and Janis chuckles quietly. “Is that a yes?” 

Regina ignores the smugness in her tone. 

“Did you bring the kitty crate?” 

***

Janis is so supremely glad that she convinced Regina to leave work early. 

She’s already smiling wider-- especially now that she’s sat next to Sammy, who is set up in his crate in the backseat-- and they’ve begun the drive home. He’s gentle, and he looks a little scared, but Regina is talking to him nonstop, trying to comfort him.

Linda had told them that shelter animals are essentially like children: in need of constant care and attention to make sure that they really belong. Regina has obviously taken the words to heart. As she talks-- telling Sammy about his little area in the living room of their apartment, how he’s always welcome to come into their room, how they already have the food that the shelter prescribed in the cabinets-- he already looks more at ease. 

Janis can’t help but think that this already shows how good Regina is going to be with their kids. 

Kids. 

Plural. 

Janis never would have thought this would be her. 

In love. Engaged. _Happy._

She’s contemplated the turn her life has taken for the better over and over, but every time, she marvels at the newness of it. She looks in the rearview mirror at the uninhibited joy on Regina’s face, and she likes knowing that, even a little bit, she’s a part of that. 

It’s a tiny moment, but in the span of time it takes for Regina to look back at her and smile, Janis estimates she thought the words _I love you_ sixth-three and a third times. But it feels like millions. 

It feels like everything. 

**Author's Note:**

> what did you think? if you enjoyed, consider dropping a kudo and comment telling me your favorite part. it's makes my day when i get the little ao3 emails, so if you wanna make me smile :)


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